ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Science & Technology
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh says, 604 aspiring entrepreneurs or startups have been supported so far under National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations - Entrepreneurs-in-Residence  program.
The grants have been disbursed in the form of fellowship to the selected aspiring entrepreneurs or startups across the country through a network of 29 Technology Business Incubator 
Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are the top three states, which got support for start-ups under NIDHI-EIR program
Union Minister of State  Science & Technology; Minister of State  Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said, 604 aspiring entrepreneurs or startups have been supported so far under National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations - Entrepreneurs-in-Residence  program.
In a statement laid on the table of the Lok Sabha, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the grants have been disbursed in the form of fellowship to the selected aspiring entrepreneurs or startups across the country through a network of 29 Technology Business Incubator  who act as a program implementation partner for NIDHI EIR program.
Entrepreneurs-in- Residence  is the program introduced under the umbrella of National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations  by Department of Science & Technology  in the financial year 2016-17. This program aims to inspire and provide support to S&T qualified persons who aspire to be an entrepreneur and has an innovative idea. The NIDHI EIR program is positioned as a pre-incubation program to generate new pipeline of entrepreneurs or startups.
The main objective of NIDHI EIR program is to encourage graduating students to take entrepreneurship instead of seeking jobs. The selected NIDHI-EIR support recipient  is eligible for grant up to Rs.30,000/- per month for a period of 12 months. This fellowship is extendable up to 18 months in case of deserving candidates. Since the launch of NIDHI EIR program grant of Rs.19.03 crore has been disbursed to 604 number of aspiring entrepreneur or startups. This state wise list of NIDHI EIR recipients is given at Table 1.
Table 1
|
|
State
|
|
Number of NIDHI EIR supported entrepreneurs/startups
|
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
|
6
|
|
Assam
|
|
12
|
|
Bihar
|
|
10
|
|
Chhattisgarh
|
|
8
|
|
Goa
|
|
6
|
|
Gujarat
|
|
33
|
|
Haryana
|
|
13
|
|
Himachal Pradesh
|
|
2
|
|
Jammu and Kashmir
|
|
3
|
|
Jharkhand
|
|
4
|
|
Karnataka
|
|
90
|
|
Kerala
|
|
31
|
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
|
18
|
|
Maharashtra
|
|
94
|
|
Manipur
|
|
1
|
|
Odisha
|
|
47
|
|
Punjab
|
|
2
|
|
Rajasthan
|
|
18
|
|
Tamil Nadu
|
|
77
|
|
Telangana
|
|
18
|
|
Uttarakhand
|
|
6
|
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
|
54
|
|
West Bengal
|
|
25
|
|
Delhi
|
|
25
|
|
Pondicherry
|
|
1
|
|
Total
|
|
604
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SNC/RR
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Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
Right to Identify and List Backward Classes
The Constitution  Amendment Act 2018 has inserted Article 342-A in the Constitution of India pertaining to the Central List of Socially and Educationally backward Classes , which had authorized the President to specify the Central list of the SEBCs, in relation to a particular State or Union Territory. Further, any modification to the central list of the SEBCs  can be done only by the Parliament.
Hon'ble Supreme Court in W.P. 938/2020 has, on 5° May 2021, interpreted the Constitution  Amendment Act 2018 and ordered that list specified by the President shall be the only list of SEBCs  for all purposes of the Constitution, in relation to each State and Union Territory. The States do not have any power to publish their list of SEBCs.
The above Judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court did not take into account the legislative intent as reflected in the debates in Parliament preceding the enactment of the Amendment, where it was declared unequivocally that the Amendment would not impinge upon States' powers to recognize and declare those classes in the State which were backward. Hence a Review Petition has been filed for reconsideration of the Judgment, but the same has been dismissed.
Government is in consultation with legal experts and the Ministry of Law and examining ways to protect the power of the States in determining the State list of OBCs for their respective States.
This information was given by The Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar in the Rajya Sabha in a written reply today.
(MG/IA
Cabinet
Cabinet approves Signing and Ratification of an Agreement on “Cooperation in the field of Mass Media” between all the Member States of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approvalfor signing and ratification of an Agreement on “Cooperation in the field of Mass Media” between all the Member States of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The Agreement was signed in June, 2019.
The Agreement shall promote equal and mutually beneficial cooperation among associations in the field of Mass Media. Each Side shall, on the basis of reciprocity, facilitate the activities thereby ensuring equity. The Agreement would provide an opportunity for the Member States to share best practices and new innovations in the field of Mass Media.
Features:
The main areas of cooperation are following:
i. creation of favorable conditions for wide and mutual distribution of information through the Mass Media in order to further deepen the knowledge about the lives of the peoples of their States.;
ii. cooperation among the Editorial Offices of the Mass Media of their States, as well as among the relevant Ministries, Agencies and Organizations working in the field of the Mass Media, specific conditions and forms of which shall be determined by the participants themselves, including through conclusion of separate agreements;
iii. promote equal and mutually beneficial cooperation among professional associations of journalists of the States of the Sides in order to study the available professional experience, as well as to hold meetings, seminars and conferences in the field of Mass Media;
iv. assist in broadcasting of television and radio programs and programs, distributed legally within the territory of the State of the other Side, the legal broadcasting by Editorial Offices of materials and information, if their distribution meets the requirements of the legislation of the States of the Sides;
v. encourage the exchange of experience and specialists in the field of Mass Media, provide mutual assistance in training media professionals and encourage cooperation among the educational and scientific-research institutions and Organizations operating in this field.
Ministry of Finance
INDIA, ADB SIGN $61 MILLION LOAN TO IMPROVE URBAN SERVICES IN AGARTALA CITY
The Government of India and Asian Development Bank  signed a $61 million loan to improve livability, harness technology, and promote new developments to accommodate the expanding population in Agartala city while building capacity of state agencies for improved service delivery.
Shri Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in India’s Ministry of Finance, signed for the Government of India, the agreement for Agartala City Urban Development Project while Mr Takeo Konishi, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission signed for ADB.
After signing the loan agreement, Shri Mishra stated that the project is aligned to the vision of the Government of India’s Smart City Mission to upgrade urban infrastructure services and will improve livability in Agartala with provision of better road connectivity, flood resilient measures and making tourist places more attractive.
”Through this project, ADB will catalyze synergies with the smart city components being implemented in Agartala through an underground utility corridor with shifting of electrical lines, incorporating elderly, women, children, and differently abled responsive features, improving road geometry along with urban design interventions,” said Mr. Konishi." He said that the provision of an asset management and sustainability strategy, capacity-building of tourism operators and livelihood improvement of street vendors and artisans, will serve as a model to other assets and tourist attractions in Agartala, and other cities in the state of Tripura.
The Project will build and upgrade 48 kilometers  of new or existing storm water drainage and construct 23 km of climate-resilient urban roads. Other interventions would include renovating open spaces and creating water recreation and lakeside walkways in the Maharaja Bir Bikram College lake and the Ujjayanta Palace which are major tourist attractions in the city.
Developing Agartala’s central and north zones as models of area-based development following the principles of smart city mission initiative is expected to have a ripple effect on other parts of the city and nearby cities and towns by making urban areas more livable, citizen-friendly, resilient, and sustainable.
Prime Minister's Office
PM expresses concerns about heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed concerns about heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh and said the situation is being closely monitored.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, "The situation in Himachal Pradesh due to heavy rains is being closely monitored. Authorities are working with the State Government. All possible support is being extended. I pray for the safety of those in affected areas."
Special Service and Features
Advisory regarding fake job rackets targeting IT skilled youth
lnstances of fake job rackets offering"lucrative jobs to entice lndian youths for the posts of 'Digital Sales and Marketing Executives' in Thailand by dubious lT firms involved in call-centre scam and crypto-currency fraud have come to our notice recently by our Missions in Bangkok and Myanmar.
The target groups are lT skilled youth who are duped in the name of lucrative data entry jobs in Thailand through social media advertisements as well as by Dubai and lndia based agents.
The victims are reportedly taken across the border illegally mostly into Myanmar and held captive to work under harsh conditions.
Therefore, lndian nationals are advised not to get entrapped in such fake job offers being floated through social media platforms or other sources. Before travelling on tourist/visit visa for employment purposes, lndian nationals are advised to check/verify credentials of foreign employers through concerned Missions abroad, and antecedents of recruiting agents as well as any company before taking up any job offer.
--ND--
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Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying
Status of Avian Influenza  in the country
Till 20th January, 2021 outbreaks of Avian Influenza have been confirmed in 6 States  for poultry birds and in 10 States  for Crow/Migratory/ Wild birds.
Further, Avian Influenza has been confirmed in poultry samples from Dera Bassi, SAS Nagar, Punjab. Avian Influenza has been confirmed in Crow in the States of Punjab .
Control and Containment Operations are going on in the affected epicentres of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh & Haryana
The central team formed for monitoring the situation in the affected areas of the country has visited Satara, Latur, Parbhani and Beed districts of Maharashtra to monitor the epicenters of AI outbreak and conducting epidemiological studies.
All the States are reporting to the Department on daily basis regarding the control measures adopted by the States/UTs based on the Revised Action Plan for Preparedness, Control and Containment of Avian Influenza 2021.
The Department is taking continuous efforts to generate awareness about Avian through platforms including social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook handles. Further, at the Department’s behest, Ministry of Civil Aviation has requested DGCA to advise the airlines to allow transportation of samples suspected for Avian Influenza to NIHSAD, Bhopal for confirmation of the disease.
APS/MG
Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
Behavioral Change in People and Private Sector Participation Important for Success of Swachh Bharat Mission : Puri
Shri Hardeep Puri, Minister of State  for Housing & Urban Affairs emphasised on the importance of behavioural change in people and participation of private sector as critical to the success of the ambitious Swachh Bharat Mission that the country has embarked upon. He was speaking at the India Sanitation Conclave 2018 organised by FICCI here today. He exhorted the private sector to play an active role at grassroots level in effecting behavioural change in people like maintaining and using toilets. He said that the Swachh Bharat Mission has shown unprecedented momentum after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clarion call for ‘Swachhta’ from the ramparts of Red Fort in 2014. He expressed happiness that the flagship scheme has become a mass revolution and has truly acquired the dimensions of a ‘Jan Andolan’.
Underlining the efforts of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in the domain of Urban Sanitation, he said as of April 2018, there are 2050 ODF Cities with 100% door to door waste collection being practiced in 51,734 wards and around 47 lakh units of individual household latrines and 3.19 lakh seats of community and public toilets built as of March, 2018. He said that to foster a healthy competition between cities for improving cleanliness standards, MoHUA has been conducting Swachh Survekshan surveys which has grown from survey of 73 cities in 2016 to 4023 cities /towns in the latest round of Swachh Survekshan conducted from 4 January to 10 March 2018.
Sh. Puri also mentioned the Sustainable Development Goals  set out by the United Nations to be achieved by 2030, particularly the SDG 6 - Ensure access and sanitation for All. He said that achievement of the SDGs will be achieved mainly through the collective efforts of all which are effectively supplemented by the programs being implemented by the Government such as the Swachh Bharat Mission.
He congratulated the India Sanitation Coalition for bringing the private and public sector together and enabling cross learning and facilitating more effective actions for sustainable intervention in the WASH  space. He also presented the ISC - FICCI Sanitation awards 2018 to individuals and institutions in various categories for their commendable work and efforts in the Sanitation sector.
Ministry of Home Affairs
MHA relaxes Visa and Travel restrictions imposed in response to COVID -19, permitting certain categories of OCI cardholders stranded abroad, to come back to India
Union Ministry of Home Affairs  has relaxed Visa and Travel restrictions imposed in response to COVID -19, permitting certain categories of Overseas Citizen Of India  cardholders, who are stranded abroad, to come to India.
Following categories of OCI Cardholders stranded abroad, have been permitted to come to India:-
- Minor children born to Indian nationals abroad and holding OCI cards.
- OCI cardholders who wish to come to India on account of family emergencies like death in family.
- Couples where one spouse is an OCI cardholder and the other is an Indian national and they have a permanent residence in India.
- University students who are OCI cardholders  but whose parents are Indian citizens living in India.
The travel restrictions, imposed earlier by MHA on 07.05.2020, would not apply to any aircraft, ship, train or any other vehicle deployed for bringing back the above mentioned categories of OCI cardholders who are stranded abroad. All other terms and conditions laid down by MHA on 07.05.2020 would continue to remain in effect.
Click here to see the Official Document
Special Service and Features
Indiatourism Kochi organises ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ rally celebrating patriotism and unity in Fort Kochi
(Kochi, August 14, 2023 – Indiatourism Kochi, in a spirited demonstration of national pride and unity, organized a Har Ghar Tiranga rally this morning at the historic Fort Kochi. The event brought together around 200 enthusiastic students from various schools and community stakeholders, embodying the true spirit of patriotism.
The highlight of the rally was a fancy dress competition held under the theme of "National Leaders." Students adorned costumes that paid homage to iconic figures from India's rich history, showcasing their creativity and talent. The portrayal of these revered leaders added an educational and inspirational dimension to the event, as their contributions to the nation were vividly brought to life.
Students of NCC  and NSS  were also actively involved in the event, displaying their commitment to serving the community and promoting a sense of responsibility among the youth.
The rally which commenced in the morning was flagged off by Shri Bony Thomas, Nodal Officer of the Heritage Zone in presence of Shri M.Narendran, Assistant Director, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and Shri Yesudas, Sub Inspector of Police , Kerala Police. It started from Tourist Complex, Fort Kochi and proceeded through the historic Vasco Da Gama square The participants, proudly carrying the National Flag, journeyed through the heart of Fort Kochi, symbolizing the unity that binds the diverse tapestry of India together. The procession returned to the starting point, the Tourist Complex, after a spirited rally that echoed the sentiments of patriotism and national pride.
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
Eight Solar Parks with Aggregate Capacity of 4995 MW approved in Bundelkhand region: Union Power & NRE Minister Shri R. K. Singh
In general, solar power projects are likely to result in various benefits like electricity generation, economic development, local direct and indirect employment, etc. around the area that they come up.
Government has approved 8 solar parks with an aggregate capacity of 4995 MW in Bundelkhand region towards enhancing generation of Solar Energy. The details are given below:
|
|
Solar Park
|
|
Capacity 
|
|
Jalaun Solar Park
|
|
1200
|
|
Chitrakoot Solar Park
|
|
800
|
|
Kalpi Solar Park
|
|
65
|
|
Lalitpur Solar Park
|
|
600
|
|
Jhansi Solar Park
|
|
600
|
|
UP Solar Park 
|
|
150
|
|
Chhatarpur Solar Park
|
|
950
|
|
Barethi Solar Park
|
|
630
|
|
TOTAL
|
|
4995
This information was given by the Union Minister of New Renewable Energy Sh. R.K. Singh in the Lok Sabha Today.
Ministry of Development of North-East Region
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Chairs the review meeting of MDoNER
MDoNER to set up Bamboo Clusters throughout India beginning from Jammu and Kashmir: Dr Jitendra Singh
Union Minister of State  Development of North Eastern Region , Dr Jitendra Singh today said that beginning from Jammu & Kashmir, his Ministry plans to set up Bamboo Clusters across India.
Presiding over a high level meeting of the Ministry, Dr Jitendra Singh informed that a Workshop cum Exhibition in collaboration with the Government of Jammu & Kashmir for Bamboo Promotion was organized in the month of January this year at State Convention Centre, Jammu. He said that three Bamboo Clusters will be developed in Jammu, Katra and Samba areas for making of Bamboo basketry, Agarbatti and Bamboo Charcoal which will provide direct employment opportunities to about 25,000 people and an MoU in this regard is at final stage.
The Union Minister said that around 35% area under bamboo is in North Eastern States. However, this potential of Bamboo for North Eastern Region not being fully utilized due to restrictions in movement of Bamboo under Indian Forest Act, 1927.
The Minister said that the sensitivity with which the Modi government views the importance for the promotion of Bamboo is evident from the fact that it has amended the century old Indian Forest Act by taking home grown bamboo out of the purview of the Forest Act, in order to enhance livelihood opportunities through bamboo.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, another major reform was to increase the import duty on bamboo sticks from 10% to 25%. This decision has paved the way for setting up of new Agarbatti stick manufacturing units to meet the ever-growing demand of Agarbatti in India. There has been no import of raw batti since September 2019 and local bamboo produce is being used for this.
Dr Jitendra Singh disclosed that there are huge reserves of bamboo spread across Jammu & Kashmir, which have remained unexplored and largely unutilised. He said that as part of the initiatives taken at the behest of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to replicate good practices of all ministries in the newly created Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the North Eastern Council, Ministry of DoNER through Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre also took itself the technical knowhow and experience in the field of Bamboo Sector in Jammu & Kashmir in the form of Workshop cum Exhibition in January this year and it will be organized throughout the country after COVID-19.
Dr.Jitendra Singh said that soon a team from the Ministry will again visit Jammu and explore a field training programme for Bamboo farming in the region. He said that the experience of North Eastern states will help the artisans of UT of Jammu and Kashmir to better their economic conditions and also assist in commercial exploitation of bamboo grown in this region and in the rest of India.
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SNC
(Visitor Counter : 304
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
India’s Cumulative COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage exceeds 205.59 Cr
Over 3.93 Cr 1st dose vaccines administered for age group 12-14 years
India's Active caseload currently stands at 1,35,364
20,551 new cases reported in the last 24 hours
Recovery Rate currently stands at 98.50%
Weekly Positivity Rate is presently at 4.64%
India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 205.59 Cr  as per provisional reports till 7 am today. This has been achieved through 2,72,54,426 sessions.
COVID-19 vaccination for the age group 12-14 years was started on 16 March, 2022. So far, more than 3.93 Cr  adolescents have been administered with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Similarly, the COVID-19 precaution dose administration for age group 18-59 years also started from 10th April, 2022 onwards.
The break-up of the cumulative figure as per the provisional report till 7 am today include:
|
|
Cumulative Vaccine Dose Coverage
|
|
HCWs
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
10412324
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
10092736
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
6410621
|
|
FLWs
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
18431464
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
17675629
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
12438028
|
|
Age Group 12-14 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
39333226
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
28452471
|
|
Age Group 15-18 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
61302501
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
51334209
|
|
Age Group 18-44 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
559697429
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
509541303
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
29224418
|
|
Age Group 45-59 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
203718906
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
195447698
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
18910030
|
|
Over 60 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
127461823
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
122145228
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
33917199
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
10,09,00,296
|
|
Total
|
|
2,05,59,47,243
India’s Active Caseload currently stands at 1,35,364. Active cases now constitute 0.31% of the country's total Positive Cases.
Consequently, India’s recovery rate stands at 98.50%. 21,595 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours and the cumulative tally of recovered patients  is now at 4,34,45,624.
20,551 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours.
The last 24 hours saw a total of 4,00,110 COVID-19 tests being conducted. India has so far conducted over 87.71 Cr  cumulative tests.
Weekly Positivity Rate in the country currently stands at 4.64% and the Daily Positivity rate is reported to be 5.14%.